The situation began at 4:53 a.m. when a women who identified herself as a friend of Stephens called 911 and requested an ambulance at 210 Barts Terrace, which is about a mile north of U.S. 90 and Lake City Community College. Gootee said the woman told a dispatcher that Stephens was sick and that he was a drug user. Gootee said a deputy was sent to back up the ambulance crew, a normal procedure if drugs may be involved.

The deputy and ambulance crew said there was no problem getting the 5-foot-8-inch and 350-pound Stephens into the ambulance, although he was not answering the deputy's questions. Officials said the ambulance had turned onto U.S. 90 and was headed west when Stephens became agitated and then combative. He reportedly kicked out a window on the ambulance and when the ambulance was pulled over, got out and began running around on U.S. 90. At the time, the sun had not yet come up, heavy fog had settled over the highway overnight and there were no street lights in the area.

"He was nearly hit by several drivers," Gootee said.

The sheriff would not release the names of the deputies who arrived to try to subdue Stephens, but did identify them as a first-year deputy and a corporal with five to six years of experience. Both men were being interviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday. "This case remains under investigation and until we are further along, we won't be releasing their names," Gootee said.

Gootee said the first-year deputy tried to Taser Stephens once, but missed. A second attempt resulted in Stephens being hit, slowing him slightly but not stopping him. Gootee said the deputy administered a second shock to Stephens by touching him with the Taser, which made it possible for the deputy and the corporal to handcuff Stephens.

Gootee could not elaborate on Stephens' condition after he was hit with the Taser, but said he was taken immediately to Shands at Lake Shore, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation was also under way Thursday into Stephens' background. Sheriff's spokeswoman Laurie Windham said his criminal record included three felony convictions and arrests in Baker, Columbia and Marion counties for drug offenses. Investigators said it appeared Stephens had been living in the Columbia County area, although he had an Ocala address on his driver's license. Stephens' mother also was reportedly living in the Lake City area, but she could not be reached for comment.

An autopsy is expected to be performed today to determine the cause of Stephens' death, although investigators do not expect a definitive explanation until toxicology results are returned in four to six weeks.

There have been about 250 Taser-related deaths in the United States since 2001, according to Amnesty International, an opponent of using Tasers. Earlier this year, the organization called for "an independent and comprehensive" study into Taser use by officers, suggesting that officers can be too quick to use the devices because they supposedly are nonlethal.

But law enforcement agencies that use the Taser maintain it has been effective in reducing injuries to both officers and others. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office, which has been using Tasers for about three years, has reported a 50 percent reduction in injuries. Generally, deputies with the Sheriff's Office use the Taser about 70 times a year, the agency reported.

Earlier this month, two men died after Jacksonville officers used Tasers. Both were shocked at least three times with a Taser, according to news reports. The incidents occurred on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20. One man, Christian Allen, 21, ran from officers after a traffic stop. The second, Conrad Lowman, 35, struggled with officers after he was found fighting with a man when police responded to a hit-and-run crash. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office defended the use of Tasers, saying they have been used hundreds of times and there were no plans to change use-of-force policies.

University of Florida Police Tasered college student Andrew Meyer during a Sept. 17 forum with U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., when Meyer used vulgar language in questioning Kerry and refused to be escorted from the auditorium. Meyer entered into an agreement with prosecutors to successfully complete probation and perform community service or donate money to a charity in exchange for dismissing charges against him. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reviewed the incident and found that UPD followed the law when they used the Taser on Meyer.

Columbia County, Sheriff Gootee and several deputies are facing a federal lawsuit, filed in Jacksonville, over the death of a 39-year-old man who was Tasered by deputies in March 2005. The mother of Milton Woolfolk Jr. had contacted officers because she wanted him to get mental health treatment. The lawsuit, filed by the man's family, alleges officers were aware of Woolfolk's mental health status, placed him under arrest and Tasered him several times although he was no threat. A trial is set for June.

Karen Voyles can be reached at 359-5656 or kvoyles@gmail.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.